Display device



Sept 29, 1953 D. E. LINDSAY 2,653,783

DISPLAY4 DEVICE Filed May 25, 1949 ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 29, 1953 DISPLAY DEVICE Donald E. Lindsay, Bala-Cynwyd, Pa., assignor to Murlin Manufacturing Co., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 25, 1949, Serial No. 95,259

2 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for supporting articles in display, and is particularly concerned with a novel shelf-supporting structure.

The shelf-supporting structure of the invention comprises a pair of spaced apart vertical channel members characterized by slots equally spaced along the length thereof, a plurality of shelf brackets having lugs adapted to engage the slots of the channel members, and, according to a modification of the invention, a plurality of angle clips adapted to be mounted on the unsupported ends of the shelf brackets.

The channel member of the invention may desii-ably be of U-section, and the slots therein are desirably of generally rectangular outline, the longitudinal axis of the rectangular slots being generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the channel member, although, in the interest of sim plifying manufacture, the outline of the vslots may depart from a strictly rectangular form.

According to the invention, the shelf bracket is formed from sheet material, each shelf bracket comprising two members which are mirror images one of the other. Each such member comprises a web of sheet material, along one edge of which a flange is bent to assume a position normal to the plane of the web. Along a second edge adjacent the rst and normal thereto, are developed a plurality of lugs adapted to engage the slots in the channel member. At least two. and desirably three lugs are so formed.

Between two adjacent lugs, a tab is bent on an axis parallel to the lugged edge of the web to a position normal to the web, the tab being bent in the direction in which the flange of the same member is bent.

In the assembled device, a pair of the members aforesaid are assembled and connected, as by spot welding, with their webs in parallel engagement one with the other, and the juxtaposed pairs of lugs are inserted and locked in position in the slots of the channel member. When the bracket is in the locked position, the tabs engage the web of the channel member and thereby introduce rigidity into the system in two senses, namely, as against direct thrust incident to the imposition of loads on the top of a shelf bracket, which would otherwise impose a strain on the lugs, and, second, as against rocking motions about the axis represented by the line of contact between the webs of the shelf bracket and the web of the channel member. In addition, the flanges on the shelf bracket are dened by end surfaces disposed to intimately engage the surface of the web of the channel member when 2 the bracket is in locked position, thus adding to the system additional rigidity as against motions in the sense last above mentioned.

Finally, the construction of the invention includes an angle clip adapted to engage the end of the shelf bracket, where it serves to anchor the exposed edge of a shelf supported by the bracket and/or to engage a structural member in the form of a Stringer extending from one bracket to another either vertically or horizontally.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a shelf-supporting structure which is exceedingly rugged and yet is capable of the simplest manufacture and is susceptible of extremely rapid assembly and disassembly.

A more specific object of the invention is to increase the rigidity of a structure of the type described by reducing the freedom for angular displacement between a shelf bracket and the vertical structural member by which it is supported.

According to this aspect of the invention, unusual rigidity is obtained as against angular displacement between the shelf bracket and the vertical structural member supporting it, occurring;

on horizontal axes as well as on vertical axes.

Yet another object of the invention is to pro* vide, in a shelf-supporting structure of the type described, a novel element for interconnecting the outer extremities of the several shelf brackets one with another or with a shelf supported thereby, or both.

How these objects and others Within the scope of the invention are attained will be more clearly understood upon reference to the detailed description which follows hereinbelow and upon reference to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view of the shelf-supporting structure of the invention in assembled condition;

Figure 2 is an exploded view illustrating the adaptation of the component parts to interengagement one with the other;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional View showing the interengagement between the shelf bracket and the vertical channel member of the invention, taken in the vertical mid-plane of the vertical channel member; and

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Turning now to the drawings and considering iirst the assembled structure illustrated in Figure l, it will be seen that the invention embodies a pair of vertical channel members of U-section, generally indicated at I8 and II, each member comprising a pair of flanges I2 interconnected by webs I3 and I4 respectively.

Affixed to each of the channel members I8 and II is a plurality of shelf brackets generally indicated at I5, the brackets being arranged in pairs disposed at equal heights for the purpose, for example, of supporting a'shelf' suchv as that indicatedV in dotted outline at I 6.

Further inspection of Figure 1 will disclose that each shelf bracket I5 carries at its outex"` extremity a clip I1, more fully described hereinbelow.

Finally, it will be noted .that ,each of channelmembers I8 and II is characterized by slo'ts I8' of the length of channel members I8 and I I' as is` illustrated in Figure 1.

Turning now to Figure 2, it will be seen that the *slots I8 are of generally rectangular outline, with the longitudinal axis ofeach slot aligned with the longitudinal axis ofthe channel member. In theinterest of manufacturing efficiency, slots I8 may depart `from strictly rectangular form, for example, where it is desired to start each slot by drilling acircular hole to receive the tool which is to cut the slot itself. The slots I8, as illustrated inthe drawings, are typical of those resulting from sucht an, operation. t

Each shelf bracket I5 comprises two sheet metalmembers generally indicated at I9 and 20, the members I9 and-72|! beingy mirror images one of the other and. being secured to one another in the relativel positions Vindicated in Figure 2 by any convenient means,y as, for example, by spot weldlng.

Each: ofpmembers I9. and 20 comprises a web portion 2| andra flange 22, which last may be slotted as at 23 and 24 to'receive bolts or other securing means adapted. to interconnect a shelf such as I6 and shelf bracket I5.

In addition,- each member I9y and 20 comprises three lugs A25, 26 and 21Qformed on a vertical edgeof web 2I` and lying in the plane of the web. Each lug 2 5, 26,17and21 isfurther characterized by an undercut 28, 29 and 39, respectively, whereby to constitute each lug av hook. which, as will appear hereinbelow, Ais adapted to interengage with the slots I8- in` channel members II) and II.

Corresponding parts of lugs 25, 26-,and2 1 are separated by intervals equal to the intervals separatingr corresponding parts of slots I8, as a result of which bracket I5 may be mountedV anywhere along theslotted portion of channel membersIIlandII. t t A ,t

Each of members I39 and 231s further characterized by a tab3I ydisposed between lugs 26 and 21 and extending normal to web 2I in the same direction as the extension of fiange 22.

In addition,. each-flange 22 is. defined by an end surface 32'whichsurface lies in a plane containing edge 33 of web 2|- and also containing the outer surface 34 of tab3.I1. Thus, when lugs 25, 28 and 21 are insertedin thethree slots-I8 until edge 33` abuts web- I3 of channel member III, end' surfaces offlanges 22 and surfaces 34 of tabs 3I will also yengage the surface of web I3 of channel member YI0.

Upon reference to Figurefr 3, it will be seen that the engaging. movement is completed by a downward vrno'tloi'il of shelf bracket I5 suchl that the'lo'we'r' ed'ge's`35'of7 slots I8' enter undercuts y28129' and1 snef 1'ugs`25",'2t and'21.

In Figures 3 and 4 it will further be seen that loads impinging upon flange 22 of bracket I5 are supported not only by virtue of the interengagement between undercuts 28, 29 and 30 with lower edges 35 of slots I8, but also by the abutment of the surfaces 34 of tabs 3I with the surface of web I3 of channel member I0.

In addition,- it will be understood that lateral forces applied to shelf bracket I5 are resisted not only by the engagement of tabs 3I with web I3, but also by the interengagement of end surfaces 32 of flanges 22 with the surface of web I3.

Angle clip I1, as may best be seen in Figure 2, comprises; apairof angle brackets 36, spot welded or. otherwise secured to a rectangular piece of sheet metal 31 which, as may be seen, extends upwardly above the upper surfaces 38 o`f angle brackets 35. Angle brackets 38 are pierced by aligned apertures 39, and when the clip is in the assembled position at the outer extremity of shelf bracket I5, apertures 39 are both adapted to be aligned with corresponding apertures 48 through Webs 2I of shelf bracket I5,` as a consequence of which the angle clip may be secured to 'the shelf bracket by a rivet or bolt passing through apertures 39 and 40. In addition, angle brackets 36 and rectangular member 31 are pierced by apertures 4I, by means of which angle clips I1', and, hence, shelf brackets I5, may be interconnected by stringers running vertically or horizontally from one shelf bracket to another.

When kangle clip I1 is in the assembled position, flanges 22 overlie angle irons 36 and the endsl4`2Y of flanges 22 intimately engage the inner surface ofA rectangular member 31, which, however, extends somewhat above the upper surface of flanges 22., the elevation Aof the upper surface 43 of, rectangular member 31 with respect to the upper surface of flanges 22 being sufficiently great to engageI the outer edge of a shelf such as I6 supported by shelf brackets I5.

The invention, as Iillustrated in the drawings and described hereinabove, embodies unique advantages -over the prior art. Among the features which should be particularly emphasized are the simplicity of construction and the superior rigidity which characterize my shelf-supporting structure. -Basic to these two advantages is the construction of` the shelf bracket from-,two sheet metal members. The composite shelf bracket ofmy invention is immeasurablystronger than any bracketl which can be fabricated from a single thickness of sheet' metal, andA is at the same time-,much simpler and much less expensive to manufactureV than a shelfbracket of comparablel strength but fabricated in other ways. l

In`ad`diti`on,. the presence of two webs from which flanges andtabs may be bent Vcontributes to thevfnished shelf bracket a symmetry of form which makes possiblea symmetrical distribution' of load, in turn resulting in enhanced rigidity.

Finally,` the placement ofthe tabs, lugs, and the ends of the flanges relative to a common plane, as lhereinabove described, provides for a remarkable arid unexpected degree of locking and rigidity.

l.. In a shelf-supporting structure incorporating. ajvrvertcal-v support having a plurality of slots equally spaced along at least a substantial portionofthe lengtlrthereof,.a shelf bracket comprising a pair of sheetv metal members which are mirror images of each other.- each of said members comprising a web and an elongatedl ange extending horizontally from said vertical support along an edge of said web, the flanges being oppositely projecting and normal to said Webs, each sheet metal member further having a plurality of spaced apart lugs projecting from a second edge of the web in the plane thereof, said second edge of the web being normal to the rst mentioned edge of the web, said lugs being arranged in pairs with the lugs of each pair lying in abutting side-by-side relation, and each pair of lugs being proportioned to enter and engage a single one of the slots in the vertical support, the webs of s aid members being secured together in a plane dening a surface of said Webs and said lugs, and the ends of the flanges adjacent the vertical support terminating in right edges in the plane of said flanges and in the plane containing said second edges of the Webs and also containing a surface of said Vertical support when the shelf bracket is in engagement with said vertical support to thereby provide for bracing of the bracket against horizontal side-to-side motion.

2. A construction according to claim 1 in which each of said sheet metal members further has a tab disposed between said lugs and extending normal to said Web in the same direction as said nange, a surface of said tab lying in said plane containing said second edges of the webs and also containing a surface of said vertical support when the shelf bracket is in engagement with said vertical support to thereby provide additional bracing of the bracket against horizontal side-to-side motion.

DONALD E. LINDSAY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 723,677 Kode Mar. 24, 1903 756,648 Kade Apr. 5, 1904 836,045 Melchior Nov. 13, 1906 870,439 Kade Nov. 5, 1907 914,572 Holden Mar. 9, 1909 1,983,470 Knape Dec. 4, 1934 

